Merry Christmas, Xenosaga!
by TheShoelessOne
Summary: Chapter 10 Up! It's Christmas time! The time for love, peace and serenity... Well, maybe not for the crew of the Elsa. How many obsticals must our heroes overcome to have a nice, quiet Christmas?
1. Merry Friggin' Christmas

A thick silence lay on the bridge of the Elsa like butter on a bagel. Long silences usually followed Hammer's bold suggestions or statements. Matthews stared him down, unblinking and unwavering, a thin vain starting to protrude from his skull. Hammer tried to force a smile onto his face, but it seemed more like the look of a man who knew he was about to die. Tony's green eyes darted from Hammer, who was slowly shrinking before the Captain's gaze, to Matthews, whose hulking form shadowed the tiny Hammer ominously. Finally, Matthews broke his silence by slamming his fist onto the arm of his chair with a resounding smack. Both Hammer and the on looking Tony jumped.  
  
"And where the hell do you expect me to get a Christmas tree, ya moron?!" the Captain shouted. Hammer cringed, not only feeling the heat of his breath on his neck, but also the overpowering warmth of the Captain's angered aura. After a minute of shaking, Hammer opened his eyes.  
  
"It was just a suggestion, Captain!" His voice quavered. Matthews seethed, gritting his teeth loudly.  
  
"Yeah, well maybe you should think before opening your trap! 'Find a Christmas tree, Captain!'" He said in a mocking tone, "'Get in the Christmas spirit, Captain!' Ya morons! Even if I managed to find your Christmas tree, do you think we'd have the time or money to buy all your stupid presents?" Tony shifted at his position at the helm.  
  
"You should try to have more spirit, Captain," the helmsman chanced. Hammer shot his friend a look of pure terror. The true wrath of Captain Matthews was about to appear. Eyes blazing, Matthews turned to face Tony, his large fists clenching together with malice. He hopped off of his chair, growling as his face grew red.  
  
"Spirit?" he coughed, seemingly ready to explode. "You want spirit, Tony?" The Navigator threw his hands over his head, readying himself for the oncoming explosion. With one, loud word, the Captain blew his top. "FINE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, "You'll get your stupid Christmas tree and your idiotic Christmas presents!" he grumbled loudly. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, "But it's comin' out of your pay!" Matthews glared at both of them as if challenging either one of them to object. Hammer nodded vigorously, though he said nothing, still in a state of shock. Tony grinned, though it was a fake smile to mask his frustration.  
  
"You're a saint among saints, Captain," Tony muttered through his teeth. At this remark, Matthews pointed a singular, accusatory finger at the helmsman.  
  
"I better get the best damned present, or I'll eject both ya morons into space!!" The Captain turned on heel and stormed angrily from the cockpit, leaving both of the other men staring into the empty space where he had been standing. After he was sure the Captain was out of hearing range, Hammer threw a statement into the wind, a smile spreading over his face.  
  
"Well, Merry Christmas, I guess, he stammered, still frightened. Tony turned back to the helm in a huff.  
  
"Yeah, yeah.... Merry Friggin' Christmas to you too..." he muttered lowly.  
  
*~*  
  
Matthews chewed furiously at the breakfast that had been bet in front of him by Shion Uzuki. She seemed disgusted at the display that went on in front of her, partially because the food was gathering at the corners of Matthews' mouth as he chewed with his mouth open, and partially because he was trying to talk to her while he ate voraciously. She tried not to look at his mouth while he spoke to her, and instead focused on his bizarre hat.  
  
"The guys want me to go out and buy some stupid tree! The morons don't even realize how much it costs to get a tree, let alone all the freakin' presents they want. Get a Christmas tree, huh? Morons..." Matthews grumbled as he scraped the remains of food from his plate into his cavernous mouth. He shoved the plate under Shion's nose unceremoniously. "More," he commanded. Shion, upset, grabbed the plate forcefully from his hand and stomped off toward the kitchen. MOMO, who was sitting in another booth with Ziggy and Allen, stood up as Shion left. Ziggy looked up, but MOMO just indicated that she was going to speak with Captain Matthews. As she stepped up alongside his booth, he failed to notice her presence. She stepped forward a bit, and he glanced up, noting that she was there. She smiled. He grunted.  
  
"I sense that there are trees on the Durandal, Captain Matthews," MOMO chimed. Matthews' interest seemed to suddenly peak, for he was suddenly at full attention.  
  
"Really now? That would mean I wouldn't have to pay a thing for a tree, and that would save money. I like it!" He stood from the booth stretching slightly. "Hey, MOMO," he said, "You wanna come with me to the Durandal to show me where this Christmas tree is?" MOMO's face lit up like, forgive the expression, a Christmas tree.  
  
"That would be so much fun!" she laughed. Then, for a moment, she faltered, her eyes glancing to her cyborg companion, who seemed to be staring at his breakfast in disgust. "Do you think... Could Ziggy come too?" She asked, turning back to Captain Matthews. The Captain pulled a face.  
  
"Uh, don't you think he's kind of, oh hell I dunno, a downer for the holiday season?" he asked. MOMO's face fell in an instant, and Matthews tried to rectify his statement. "I mean, er... He might... Well..." Matthews caved, unable to stand MOMO's sad face any longer. "Sure, you can bring the cyborg along." The Realian's smile jumped back onto her face almost as quickly as it had disappeared.   
  
"Oh, thank you, Captain! I'll get Ziggy, and then we'll go, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, sure," Matthews grunted, wondering how he had been roped into this. MOMO cavorted to where Ziggy sat. The cyborg, now thoroughly disgusted by his breakfast, summarily dumped his food onto Allen's plate. The Vector engineer didn't seem to notice, for he was so absorbed in his portable U.M.N. module.  
  
"I wonder what the Chief wants for Christmas..." Allen mumbled to himself, scrolling through some sort of list. Ziggy shook his head, placing his head in his hands. It was then that MOMO decided to appear, a smile lighting her features.  
  
"Ziggy, do you want to go to the Durandal with the Captain and me? We're looking for a Christmas tree!" MOMO asked. It was just what Ziggy had been waiting for: a way to get away from Allen without hurting the man's feelings.  
  
"Sure," Ziggy answered, pushing himself up from the booth, "That sounds like a great idea." The three of them passed through the door, just missing Shion entering the cafe from the kitchen. She surveyed the room, her temper rising.  
  
"Allen, where did Captain Matthews go?" she asked, turning to her co-worker. Allen, surprised, nearly shot out of his seat. He reddened in the face, placing his U.M.N. module to his side.  
  
"Huh? The Captain was in here? I was too busy enjoying the breakfast you made to notice anything else," he stated. Shion looked at his plate, which was piled high with Ziggy's unwanted food. Her temper flared.  
  
"You must have been too busy enjoying it to eat it, Allen Ridgely! You could have at least tried it! Ziggy managed to finish his! Is my cooking that bad?" Shion flew, in a rage, back into the kitchen. Allen looked from his plate to Ziggy's empty one.  
  
"I know I finished my food..." With a low moan, Allen covered his head in his hands, trying to hide himself from the world. "I'm hopeless," he sighed.  
  
*~*  
  
It was as they were exiting the Elsa for the Durandal that the small party met chaos. The thin boy had been hanging up a string of garland in the hallway, and he met his Captain with an airy smile.  
  
"Good morning, Captain," chaos said. He looked at the party of three headed for the Durandal. "Where are you three headed?"  
  
"Oh, man, chaos," Matthews said, looking at the garland the boy was hanging up, "Did Tony and Hammer con you into this?" chaos laughed lightly and shook his head.  
  
"It's just the Spirit of Christmas, Captain," chaos answered. Mathews gave him a blank stare. He shook his head sadly, then sighed.  
  
"You comin' on this escapade too, then?" Matthews asked. chaos cocked his head.  
  
"I'm still not quite sure what you're doing..."  
  
"We're getting a Christmas tree from the Durandal!" MOMO explained, smiling. Her smile made chaos smile too.  
  
"That sounds like fun. Would you mind if I joined you?" he asked. Everyone shook their heads.  
  
"We may need help carrying the tree back," Ziggy put in, "considering that we may need quite a large tree."  
  
"I'd be glad to help!" the younger boy said, stepping into line behind the others. Matthews opened the exit, muttering under his breath. The odd quartet stepped onto the Durandal's dock amid confusion and turmoil. It seemed like everyone on the Durandal wanted to go to the Kukai Foundation, and everyone on the Foundation wanted into the Durandal. That's what you get for buying your presents so late, folks. The four of them shoved their way past the throngs of people to get to the train that would take them to the Park. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to barely fit into the back compartment. Matthews glared around him, at the bodies packed against him and the packages in their hands.  
  
"This is why I hate Christmas," he mumbled. 


	2. It's a Good Tree

The ride to the park was long and boring. All of the bodies packed like sardines against each other made the temperature in the compartment rise considerably. MOMO wiped a drop of perspiration from her nose while chaos shifted uneasily in the close quarters. Everyone seemed to shy away from Ziggy where he stood near the doors, as if they were almost afraid to touch him. He shot malicious glares in their directions. Finally, after what had seemed like a lifetime, the doors slid open to reveal the Durandal's park and observation room. Ziggy stepped out first, followed by Matthews, then MOMO and finally chaos, who had to squeeze out from between two bodies. He shivered slightly, possibly from disgust. With a swift nod, he indicated the entrance to the observation room, and all four of them were glad to leave the train.  
  
The cool atmosphere of the park was so much more refreshing than the close quarters the four of them had previously experienced, and MOMO breathed in the cool air deeply. She spun lightly on her toes, gesticulating toward the trees that surrounded her. A bright smile lit her face.  
  
"See, Captain?" she asked, "Christmas trees, just like I said!" Matthews, unblinking stared at all the trees surrounding the odd quartet. All were verdant, crisp, lively deciduous trees, swaying lightly in the artificial breeze. The Captain sighed, his gaze falling to where MOMO was standing. Her face clouded at his inauspicious expression. "What's wrong?" she asked. Matthews looked at the trees again. The only sound was that of the gently rushing water of the artificial stream and the buzzing of the environmental bugs.  
  
"These ain't Christmas trees, kid," he said. True, all of them bore large, green leaves. None were of the evergreen variety commonly associated with Christmas. "They're just... trees..." MOMO's face fell, and she placed her thin hand on one particularly beautiful maple.  
  
"But I don't understand what's wrong with this tree..." She muttered. All Matthews could muster was a low moan as he sunk onto one of the many benches in the park, cradling his head in his hands. Ziggy sized up the full 8 feet of the tree, then placed a comforting hand on MOMO's shoulder.   
  
"Nothing's wrong with it," he told her softly, "It's a good tree." After staring at it for another moment, he made some sort of mental agreement, and, moving MOMO swiftly aside, he extended the blade on his arm. With one deft movement, he severed the tree from its roots, with a single clean cut. It fell with the cracking of timbers and rustling of leaves. As if he had been waiting, chaos caught the leafy end of the tree as it fell, almost as if he had known what Ziggy had been thinking. The cyborg took hold of the trunk. Matthews nearly leaped from his seat after a few branches whipped precariously close to his face. MOMO cheered, hugging Ziggy about his midsection, making him nearly drop his end of the tree. Matthews, who had recovered almost instantly, moved next to the tree and looked it over quickly.  
  
"I guess this'll work," he muttered.  
  
"It's a good tree," Ziggy added, throwing a fierce glance to the Captain. He backed up, putting his hands up as a sign of peace. Ziggy nodded, and motioned for chaos to start moving the tree toward the exit. MOMO and Matthews followed loyally in tow, MOMO skipping happily and Matthews dragging his feet somberly. They would have made it back to the Elsa with no other problems had it not been Gaignun Jr.'s favorite time to visit the observation room.  
  
The short red-head walked into the room just in time to have green foliage shoved into his face. Jr. spat the leaves out of his mouth violently, lashing out at his supposed attacker with all four limbs.  
  
"Show your face and fight me, you bastard!" Jr. cried, kicking the tree. The next sound he heard was chaos clearing his throat politely. Jr. looked up to see chaos and Ziggy holding the tree which had so maliciously attacked him. Jr.'s brow furrowed deeply as his eyes locked on the cyborg. Minutes passed in silence, and the silence would have remained unbroken had Mary and Shelley not decided to walk in as well.   
  
"Little Mastah," Mary said, her high-pitched voice shattering the silence like an opera singer, "What're you doin'?"  
  
"What am I doing?" Jr. asked, not daring to take his eyes from the cyborg. "You should ask them what the hell they're doing with my tree and why they tried to kill me with it!"  
  
"There's no need to get hasty, Little Master," Shelley noted, her cool voice melting the tension. "Maybe you should have asked them this in the first place." Jr. stood, brushing himself off neatly.  
  
"Yeah, what ARE you guys doing with my tree?" he asked, staring at Ziggy, then Matthews. It was MOMO that answered him.  
  
"It's going to be our Christmas tree!" she sang. Jr. cocked his head as he stared at the large maple tree, then a large, goofy smile began spreading over his face.  
  
"I hate to break it to you, MOMO, but that's not a Christmas-"  
  
"It's a good tree," Ziggy broke in, and his blazing eyes turned to Jr. The latter stepped back a ways, then averted his frightened gaze to MOMO.  
  
"So... Are you guys having some sort of party on the Elsa?" Jr. asked. Matthews coughed roughly and answered instead.  
  
"Hammer and Tony are throwing the party, actually. We're just getting the tree." MOMO threw him an inquisitive look.  
  
"I thought you said-"  
  
"What I meant was, it's all coming out of their pay. So if you wanna charge someone for the tree, charge one of them, okay, Little Master?" Matthews asked. Jr. smirked widely, then broke out in gales of laughter. He slapped his knee, the sound reverberating in the observation room. After laughing for a few moments, Jr. wiped a tear from his eye.  
  
"Okay, here's the deal, old man," Jr. told the Captain, "You can use my tree. But I better get the best Christmas present, or I'll eject all of you into space." He turned around, motioning for Mary and Shelley to follow him, "C'mon, we aughta tell Gaignun about the fun!" Shelley rolled her eyes a bit, then turned to Ziggy briefly.  
  
"He's always like this around the holidays," Shelley assured the cyborg. She thought that she caught the faintest hint of a smile crack on Ziggy's face.  
  
"It's a surprise you haven't jettisoned him yet," he murmured. Jr. whirled around, almost tripping over his own feet.  
  
"What was that, cyborg?!" he ranted; "I should just toss you off the ship out of context! We'll see who gets 'jettisoned' first, old man!" Mary and Shelley both took one of his arms and began dragging him away. "Come on! I can take him! I'll 'jettison' his ass! Leggo!" He struggled, but in vain, against the Godwin Sisters' grips. MOMO chuckled, and even Matthews gave a gruff laugh. He pulled his hat down a bit, shading his eyes in what he may have thought to be a suave look.  
  
"Maybe this Christmas thing won't be so bad," the Captain said. chaos patted him on the shoulder with his free hand.  
  
"That's the spirit, Captain! Now, let's get back to the Elsa and put this tree up!"   
  
No one moved. Everyone was thinking the same thing, but Ziggy was the first to say it.  
  
"If the train is a crowded as it was when we arrived, how are we going to transport a tree using the train?"  
  
No one knew the answer. MOMO scratched her head, then an idea seemed to dawn in her head. She bounced up and down for a second, then started to run after the three that had just disappeared through the door.  
  
"I'll be right back!" she assured her friends. She was true to her word, for she returned with Mary Godwin, who looked like she wasn't sure why she was there. MOMO simply beamed. "I have an idea! Follow me!" Everyone, including the tree, followed MOMO and Mary to the train. Just as one pulled in and hissed to a stop, MOMO whispered her plan into Mary's ear. Mary seemed to like the idea very much, for she giggled lightly. The doors opened, and Mary waved enthusiastically to everyone inside, which was mostly comprised of procrastinating male shoppers.  
  
"Yoohoo!" Mary cried, "I'm signin' autographs over here!" The blonde Godwin sister called. Almost every passenger leapt from the train and followed the galloping Mary back to the observation room. The train was now basically empty. chaos smiled widely.  
  
"That was a great idea, MOMO!" chaos told her.   
  
"Come on," she suggested, "We gotta get the tree back to the Elsa before anyone else knows what we're doing!" Everyone failed to mention to her that the only people on the Elsa that did not know of their plotting were Shion, KOS-MOS and Allen. Somehow, the quartet managed to squeeze the tree and themselves into the confined space, and the train took off.   
  
"What should we call the tree?" MOMO asked nonchalantly. Everyone gave her a nonplussed expression. "I think we should name it Sakura," the Realian suggested.   
  
"Angel," chaos said.  
  
"Firewood," Matthews growled.  
  
"Douglass?" Ziggy said after a moment of hesitation. Now he was the one receiving odd stares. He shrugged, but MOMO chimed in.  
  
"I like Douglass! It sounds like a tree's name!"  
  
"Douglass it is, then!" chaos cheered with MOMO. Matthews shook his head.  
  
"They're a pair of loonies," he muttered. "You're all a bunch of loonies..."  
  
The train sped back to the dock, both MOMO and chaos already coming up with a song for Douglass the Maple Christmas Tree. One long, loud moan of despair was uttered from Matthews' mouth the entire ride.  
  
AN: For the first time, TheShoelessOne will write a fic with KOS-MOS in it! It's amazing! Just wanted to say that... Yeah... *disappears in a puff of smoke* 


	3. Of Plans and Presents

'Hey Gaignun!'  
  
The black-haired man turned, only to find that the space behind him was empty. He glanced around for a moment, then sighed loudly.  
  
'I thought I told you only to communicate with me telepathically when it was very important,' Gaignun thought. He heard Jr.'s voice inside his head once more.  
  
'But this is important, Gaignun!' Jr. thought. 'You like parties, don't you?' Gaignun's interest suddenly was caught like a fish on a hook.  
  
'I see why you couldn't wait,' Gaignun thought, a smile forming on his face. 'Just what kind of party are we talking about here?'  
  
'Hold on a sec,' Jr. cogitated. 'I'm almost there. And I'm bringing Shelley.'  
  
'Where's Mary?'  
  
'Signing autographs.'  
  
Gaignun laughed. He sat himself down in his chair just as the door slid open to reveal the redheaded Jr. and his counterpart Shelley. They both entered the room, a large smile gracing Jr.'s features, while the slightest semblance of a smirk was on Shelley's lips. Gaignun leaned back, his almost hypnotic stare fixed on his tiny friend. As both of them opened their mouths to speak, a small visual feed screen popped up before where Gaignun sat. The form of Representative Helmer was staring at the man, worry on his face.  
  
"Nigredo! Am I glad I could talk to you! I have some serious-" Helmer was cut off as Gaignun went to turn off the feed.  
  
"I told you NEVER to call me Nigredo!" Gaignun's ire flared as he flicked the switch. Jr. stared at him inquisitively for a moment, then laughed. Gaignun growled a bit, then sat back down in his leather swivel chair. Shelley shook her head.  
  
"What if Representative Helmer had something important to tell you?" Shelley asked. Gaignun shrugged.  
  
"I'll call him back later." He turned to Jr., who was over his laughing fit. "So what were you going to tell me about this party of yours?"   
  
"Captain Matthews and his crew are throwing a Christmas party in their ship, and we're invited!" Jr. boasted. Shelley took hold of his shoulder gently.  
  
"I don't remember Captain Matthews ever explicitly inviting either of-" Jr. brushed her hand off of him and placed his hands on Gaignun's desk leaning closer.  
  
"There's gonna be presents, Gaignun.... Presents..."  
  
"What about refreshments?" The Kukai Director asked. Jr. shrugged with a wry smile forming.  
  
"Matthews says the whole party is coming out of Tony and Hammer's paychecks, so we could send a caterer to the ship and charge the two of them for it." Gaignun clapped his friend on the back, a low laugh escaping his lips.  
  
"I have taught you well," Gaignun said as he stood. He was still, in a moment of loving introspection, staring out his window at the stars. "It's like I'm throwing a party, but it's for free..." Shelley held her head in her hands.  
  
"They're both insane..." She walked out the door, leaving the two of them to feel very good for themselves. The purple-haired woman made her way through the corridors, accosted at every turn by some new fan. She would quickly sign a slip of paper and give it to them, although she was sure she met the same man at least four times in one corridor. At last, she made it to the Elsa, and, breathing deeply, she stepped inside.  
  
*~*  
  
Hammer and Tony were miserable. They watched as Ziggy and chaos pulled the huge tree into the Elsa's door, knowing they would have to pay for it. They heard MOMO and Shion talking about getting presents, and they knew it was coming out of their pockets. They listened in horror to Shelley's tale as she arrived on the bridge. Hammer planted his face on the control board in front of him.  
  
"My life sucks," he said simply. Tony glared at him.  
  
"It's all your damn fault anyway," the helmsman seethed. "If you hadn't suggested it, I never woulda stuck up for you, and we never woulda had to pay for all this shit." Ziggy turned and glared at Tony at the mention of his last word.  
  
"It's a good tree," the cyborg growled as he towed the tree onto the bridge. Tony threw his hands up into the air.  
  
"What the hell kinda Christmas tree is that, anyway?!" the helmsman roared. Ziggy and chaos tipped the tree up on its trunk, and Ziggy made a rough sound in the back of his throat.  
  
"There's no need to use such language in front of MOMO," he told Tony. The golden-haired man sat down loudly in a huff, crossing his arms across his chest. MOMO giggled.  
  
"I think he's funny," she said softly. KOS-MOS and Allen walked onto the bridge with the soft sliding sound of the door. Allen stopped abruptly, staring at the tree. KOS-MOS walked on, going to Shion. For a moment, the android glanced back at Allen, who winked, widely and obviously. KOS-MOS stopped abruptly in front of Shion.  
  
"Shion," she said loudly and evidently, "I request that we head to the maitenance lab. I believe that my parts may need to be tuned. Allen has suggested it." Shion glanced at Allen, who suddenly whirled around toward the door, whistling nonchalantly. The female Vector engineer felt a small smile creep over her features.  
  
"Okay, KOS-MOS. Let's get going." The two of them summarily left the bridge, leaving only Allen, Matthews, Shelley, chaos, Ziggy, MOMO and the poor decrepit crewmen on the bridge. Ziggy and chaos were holding the tree firmly in place, and chaos looked it over.  
  
"I don't think it will stay here on its own," he turned to look at MOMO, "I'll bet there's something sturdy enough to hold it up in the kitchen." The small Realian grinned.  
  
"I'll go look for one!" she said as she dashed off. Ziggy shifted on his feet awkwardly then, turning to Captain Matthews, almost lost his hold on the tree.  
  
"Captain," Ziggy mused, "After we are finished erecting the tree, I will need to visit the Kukai Foundation briefly. I'm hoping that you won't need my help here?" Matthews gave him a bemused look.  
  
"Why you need to go down there? Just a bunch of last minute Christmas shoppers..." He trailed off as he saw Ziggy's eyes migrate to the floor, and he shuffled his feet again. Matthews broke out in a broad laugh. "Oh, I get it! Sure, cyborg, you can go down there and buy the little girl a present." Ziggy looked back to the Captain, his embarrassed expression eliminated from his face.  
  
"My thanks, Captain." The cyborg resumed his post at the tree, holding it firmly. Allen casually sauntered up to Matthews, who shot him a venomous stare. Allen stopped abruptly, clearing his throat too.  
  
"Err, Captain, I'll be needing to go down to the Foundation too..."  
  
"Go ahead and go, ya moron! Nobody needs your help around here anyway!" Matthews shouted. Hammer snickered loudly. Allen, his pride obviously hurt, slunk from the bridge, his head hanging to his chest. As soon as he had gone, both Hammer and Tony broke out into loud gales of laughter.   
  
"That was great, Captain!" Hammer announced. Matthews rounded on them.  
  
"You two morons aughta be goin' down there too! Or did you forget about our little agreement?" A satisfactory smirk appeared on the Captain's face. Both of the joyous expressions of the crewmen faded quickly. It was Shelley's turn to smirk. She now couldn't blame Jr. and Gaignun for laughing it up back in Gaignun's office. Tony mumbled something along the lines of "This ain't fair," and the two followed Allen out of the bridge in suit. Matthews adjusted his hat.  
  
"Y'know, I think we all aughta take a trip down to the Foundation. It'd do us some good to get off this ship."  
  
"I agree, Captain," chaos said, "It's been a while since I've visited the city." At that moment, MOMO arrived with an odd contraption in her hands. Shelley cocked her head.  
  
"What's that?" she asked. MOMO looked it over, and then shrugged.  
  
"I don't know, but when I asked the cafe robot what I could use to hold up a Christmas tree, he gave me this." She handed it to Ziggy, who knelt down next to the trunk of the tree and, with help from chaos, Shelley and Matthews, lifted the tree up and stuck the trunk into the hole in the middle.  
  
"Here we go..." chaos said softly. Everyone backed away from the tree, and, miraculously, it stayed in place. Everyone on the bridge cheered. Matthews clapped his hands lightly, then made a motion to head for the doors.  
  
"Well, let's get going, people!" Everyone headed off the bridge, but MOMO lagged behind. Gently, she tugged at Shelley's sleeve. The woman turned to see MOMO twiddling her thumbs awkwardly.  
  
"What is it?" Shelley asked, kneeling down to her level. MOMO tugged nervously on one strand of her hair.  
  
"Well... It's just... I want to buy a present for Ziggy, but I don't want Jr. to be left out. If I got both of them presents, would they feel bad?" Shelley smiled at the little girl.  
  
"No," she said, "In fact, I think that would be better than getting only one of them a present. I'm going to get presents for both Little Master and Master Gaignun." MOMO beamed.  
  
"That's good."  
  
*~*  
  
"There! All done, KOS-MOS," Shion said. The android stepped out of her tuning module and began checking the parts in her right hand. Shion made a gruff sound in the back of her throat. "I just checked your parts, KOS-MOS!"  
  
"Shion," the android began, "there is a 95.9998% probability that I am more capable of checking my parts than you are." KOS-MOS continued checking her wrist. Shion trembled in ire.  
  
"Then why did you bring me down here?"  
  
"Allen suggested it. I believe it may have been a distraction on Allen's part to go to the Kukai Foundation without your knowledge." KOS-MOS droned. Shion stopped shaking, then sat down with a prolonged sigh.  
  
"First he doesn't eat my breakfast, then he wants to avoid me... Is there something wrong with me, KOS-MOS?"  
  
"All humans are imperfect, Shion. According to my sensors, Allen is now on the Kukai Foundation. His location appears to be a gift shop. His being there to purchase you a gift is of the highest probability, but this is not a certainty." KOS-MOS said. Shion immediately brightened.  
  
"He's getting me a Christmas present?"  
  
"Affirmative."  
  
"Come on, KOS-MOS! We can't let them have all the fun!" Shion took KOS-MOS by the arm and began dragging her toward the exit. 


	4. Last Minute Shoppers

"Only the best for MOMO," Jr. stated, waggling a finger at no one in particular. He, Gaignun and Mary were making their way to the shuttle to the Foundation. "I mean it! Spare no expense!" Mary eyed him, raising one eyebrow.  
  
"Have y'all been watchin' them old movies again, Little Master?" She asked. Jr. glared at her, his bright blue eyes burning with silent mirth.  
  
"Why don't you go find your sister or something?" Jr. asked. A hurt look passed over Mary's face, and she stomped off toward the Elsa. Her face was nearly pummeled into her skull as Ziggy threw the door to the Elsa open. She screeched and fell backwards, landing hard on the metal catwalk. A short giggle could be heard from Jr.'s direction, and Mary shot him a look of injured pride. She stood again, brushing herself off.  
  
"That wasn't very nice," she said, her hurt eyes now migrating to Ziggy, who looked like he could have cared less. In a huff, she grabbed her sister by the sleeve and stalked toward the shuttle. Gaignun gave a low laugh, then turned as Matthews exited his ship, still adjusting his hat. It seemed like he was trying to "get fancy" before going into public.   
  
"I don't think anyone can fix that, Captain," Gaignun said. Matthews looked up sharply, then changed his demeanor when he saw who had spoken to him.  
  
"You always were the funny one, Master Gaignun," Matthews said through his teeth. The Kukai Director scoped out the small party, consisting of Matthews, Ziggy, MOMO and chaos, a smile lighting his face.  
  
"And where's your rag-tag party off to, Captain?" Gaignun asked. Matthews cleared his throat lightly.  
  
"Ah, we're headed to the Foundation to do a little last minute Christmas shopping," Matthews said. Jr. gave him a large, obvious wink.  
  
"Remember our agreement?" Jr. asked. Matthews' eyes rolled in his head. How could he forget? It was then that Jr. caught sight of MOMO, and his face was immediately the color of his hair. A deep silence was suddenly hung in the air like yesterday's laundry. Gaignun poked his diminutive friend on the shoulder.  
  
"Jr. and I are headed that way as well. Mind if we join you?"  
  
"Of course not, Master Gaignun!" chaos said. He then let his eyes migrate to MOMO, who was looking at the ground. He had to come up with something quick! "That is, if we split into teams. We'd cover more ground that way..." Hopefully, the plan would work. That way, MOMO would be able to buy gifts for Ziggy and Jr. Gaignun smiled.  
  
"Sounds good. I will go with Mary and Shelley..."  
  
"No, Master Gaignun," Shelley said slyly. "We're buying you presents. You can't come with us."  
  
"Yeah!" Mary cajoled, having now completely forgotten the door incident. "Why don't y'all go with chaos?" Gaignun's face fell as he looked to the incessantly smiling boy. He finally gave in.   
  
"Gaignun and I will go together," chaos said, his eyes darting around the gathered patrons. "MOMO can go with Shelley, Captain Matthews can go with Mary, and Ziggy and Jr. can go together." The eyes of Jr. and those of Ziggy slowly met, each glaring and silently cursing each other. The turquoise-eyed boy seemed oblivious to the invisible sparks that were already flying between the two of them, for he motioned for everyone to follow him. Everyone stomped toward the shuttle, all except for MOMO and Shelley, who seemed to be enjoying themselves. Little did they know that they were being watched. Two sets of eyes, one set green and the other red, peered out from the door of the Elsa. Shion watched the shuttle take off, a smile on her face.  
  
"That must mean Allen is already down there," she mused to herself.  
  
"I have already previously stated this fact, Shion. I predict that if you had been listening, you would not have uttered the previous statement," KOS-MOS droned in her metallic voice. Shion gave her an annoyed look, then stepped out of the door. The android followed in suit.  
  
"KOS-MOS," Shion whispered close to the android's ear, "When we get down to the Foundation, we'll have to sneak around. We can't let Allen know we're onto him. Understand?"  
  
"Affirmative," KOS-MOS said. Shion grinned widely from ear to ear.  
  
"Good. Now, let's go wait for the shuttle to come back."  
  
*~*  
  
"This sucks ass," Tony said, taking a long drag of his cigarette.  
  
"Maybe if you were wearing more than a stupid muscle shirt, you wouldn't be so cold," Hammer remarked in a biting tone. Tony, his face rapidly turning a lovely shade of blue, turned his blazing eyes on his partner.  
  
"You should be talkin', Mr. Wears-A-Wool-Jacket-Over-A-Jumpsuit!!" Tony roared. Hammer blushed in anger and embarrassment.  
  
"It's not a jumpsuit! It's a work uniform!" Hammer insisted. Tony laughed, but it came out as a shivering cough, his breath condensing before him.  
  
"Then how come no one else wears one? Face it, I win!" A triumphant smile spread over Tony's blue face, and Hammer smirked.  
  
"Yeah, but I'm warm."  
  
Tony opened his mouth to retort, but nothing witty came. He stuttered for a few minutes, then shut his mouth abruptly, muttering something along the lines of, "Damn you..." Hammer let his eyes stray to the extravagant spreads in the windows of every store. The bright displays reflected in his polished glasses and his eager eyes.  
  
"Hey," he said to Tony, who was now shivering violently, "What do you think we should get the Captain?"  
  
"W-w-w-who the h-h-hell c-c-cares?" Tony stammered. Hammer's eyes suddenly gained a light of worry, and he took the jacket off of himself and threw it at Tony.  
  
"You look pathetic, not macho. Just wear it." Hammer looked down at himself. Hell, it did look like a jumpsuit... He sighed loudly, and started into the closest store. "We should just start looking for anything that would appeal to the Captain." Tony laughed mirthlessly.  
  
"Just get something shiny and dangle it in front of his eyes. He'll be captivated."  
  
"You do realize that when he threatened to throw us from the ship, he wasn't kidding?" Hammer told him, pushing the door open with the tiny ring of a bell. Tony pulled the jacket on, mumbling under his breath.  
  
"Just get him some beer. That'll make him happy and drunk."  
  
"Tempting, but no," Hammer said, gazing at the small trinkets on the shelves. Tony looked as if he would rather be knocking every shelf in this store over than finding something the Captain would like in there. A woman walked up, her face warm and smiling.  
  
"Can I help you gentlemen?" She asked. Tony took in an eyeful, a smile on his face now too.  
  
"Depends on how fast you can get out of that dress," Tony said, a bit louder than he'd intended. The woman's face contorted in horror. Tony didn't realize what he had done until it was too late. She screamed.  
  
"Pervert!" Her cries rang in both of their ears. "Pervert! Help!" Tony and Hammer were immediately accosted by two strong and burly men, who tossed them from the shop and into the drifts of snow. Hammer glared daggers at Tony, who shrugged.  
  
"She was hot, so sue me," Tony said in an offhand manner. Hammer's face suddenly grew gaunt and pale.  
  
"Someone may just have to..." Hammer said gravely. He held up his hand. Having been tossed out of the shop, Hammer had failed to put down the item he had been inspecting. It was a crystal figurine of a half-naked woman. "I- I thought it would be perfect for the Captain..." Tony's eyes grew wide as he heard shouts from inside the shop.  
  
"Oh Jesus, oh Jesus..." He muttered. Finally, he grabbed Hammer by the arm and dragged him away as quickly as he could. Luckily, they were out of sight before the two burly men emerged from the shop, looking for their prey.  
  
*~*  
  
Allen was miserable. He could find nothing he thought Shion would like. He sat staring in the window at numerous items, none of which spoke to him. He gave a loud sigh. Suddenly, he felt someone standing over him. He looked up to see a tall man in a top hat looking in the same window he was staring into. The old man caught Allen's eye and winked.  
  
"Having trouble shopping, Sonny?" He asked. Allen sighed again, and nodded.  
  
"There's someone I care for very much, but I just don't know what to buy her," Allen said in a sappy voice. The old man patted Allen on the back, making a small "tsk" noise in the back of his throat.  
  
"I've known many men with the same plight, Sonny. Would I be intruding if I asked to help you?" Allen's face lit up, and he clasped his hands in front of him in joy.  
  
"You mean, you wouldn't mind?" Allen asked. The man shook his head, his gray hair waving out from beneath his hat.  
  
"Not at all. After all, what is Christmas all about? Helping your fellow man when in need. Now, if you would follow me, I know a wonderful shop just down the way..."  
  
The odd pair strolled casually down the snow-filled street, weaving their way in and out of the last-minute shoppers.  
  
*~*  
  
"Finally," Matthews muttered as the shuttle came to a stop. The stairs were lowered, and everyone climbed out into the Kukai Foundation. MOMO's eyes grew wide, and she was met with the sight of blinking colorful lights and the sound of carols being sung far away. The snow was drifting lazily toward the ground, though everyone knew that it was artificial. But no one cared. It was still beautiful. Gaignun was the last to leave the shuttle and he turned to chaos.  
  
"I think everyone should pair up, and we should be off."  
  
"Good idea!" MOMO said. Every pair went off to the city. All but one pair. Ziggy and Jr. stood rooted to their respective spots. Both glared at each other, unable to form words. Finally, Jr. broke eye contact and crossed his arms.  
  
"Not like I wanna go shopping with a stupid cyborg," Jr. mumbled. Ziggy kept his cool, not surprisingly, and whipped out a retort.  
  
"Had I been able to choose, you would have been my next to last choice," Ziggy said dully. Jr.'s head shot up.  
  
"Next to last?"  
  
"I..." Ziggy trailed off and looked at his feet. He was embarrassed again. "I wouldn't want to shop for someone when they're standing right beside me..." Jr.'s face suddenly dawned.  
  
"You're getting a present for MOMO!" Jr. shouted, pointing a finger at the cyborg. Ziggy squinted at the smaller man.  
  
"And what difference does that make?"  
  
"It makes you competition, old man!" Jr. shouted. "I'm gonna get MOMO the best present!" Ziggy made a sound that could have been counted as a low laugh.  
  
"We'll see about that," he muttered. That was it. The challenge had been made. Both stared at each other for another moment, then they both took off running for the city.  
  
"Just you wait!" Jr. called as he ran, "Just you wait! I'll get the best present!"  
  
"Well," Ziggy said as he ran beside him, the smallest indication of a smirk on his lips, "I'm waiting." With that remark, Ziggy put in another burst of speed and he took off. Jr. slowed, wheezing and gasping for breath.  
  
"Just... you... wait..." 


	5. chaos and Gaignun

AN: I've decided to make a chapter for every pair of shoppers, that way organizing it a bit and also giving you a little more Christmas shopping for your time. Enjoy!  
  
___chaos and Gaignun___  
  
"Well, this is splendid," Gaignun muttered under her breath, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was walking down the main street with chaos, who looked absolutely ecstatic to be there. His huge, child-like eyes were now staring into every window. He looked as if he wanted everything that was laid before him. To chaos, it was all his. Gaignun stared at him. "Are you buying something for anyone?"   
  
"Oh yes! I'm getting something for the Captain, Hammer, Tony, KOS-MOS, Shion, MOMO, Ziggy, Little Master..." chaos' voice trailed off as his list elongated, including names of people Gaignun had never heard of or was even sure existed. He surmised that chaos just liked to buy things. He turned to Gaignun, a wide smile on his face.  
  
"Who are you shopping for?" chaos asked. Gaignun sighed, a cloud escaping from his mouth.  
  
"I will probably pick up a trinket or two for Mary and Shelley. Perhaps I might pick up a little something for Ru- I mean Jr." Gaignun looked away quickly, knowing he had slipped up on Jr.'s name. chaos smiled slyly.  
  
"Don't worry, Master Gaignun. I won't tell anyone Jr.'s real name."  
  
The two of them walked down the snowy street, some people making way for the Kukai Director, others just stopping and staring in awe that such a man would come among them at the holiest time of year. Surely, it must be a blessing? Gaignun was loving every minute of it. He waved to everyone, a smug smile on his face. They either waved back or tried to grab his hand. Gaignun's companion seemed not to notice, for he was window shopping with a loving stare. Finally, they arrived at a store Gaignun though was worthy of his presence. He motioned for chaos to follow, and he came, only to come see the wonderful things that lay inside.  
  
"Oh, Master Gaignun!"   
  
The man was immediately set upon by every female attendant in the store. They poked and prodded him, giggling and laughing. Gaignun was in his element. But he was wrenched violently from his element as chaos grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stand that held a tiny silver necklace set with an amethyst.  
  
"Look, Gaignun! This would be the perfect gift for Shelley, wouldn't it?" chaos' eyes turned to Gaignun, who gave him a hollow sort of look.  
  
"Then why don't you get it for her?" Gaignun mumbled. The boy's face grew light, and he smiled.  
  
"I will! Thanks, Gaignun!"  
  
"No problem," he muttered, turning back to the throng of female admirers with a smile. He was just about to resume his "work" when he was grabbed by chaos again.  
  
"Oh, look, Master Gaignun! A golden anklet! It's great for Mary!"  
  
"Then buy it." By now, the boy was beginning to get on the man's nerves. As the silver-haired one pranced about, holding two dainty bags, Gaignun loosened his tie from around his neck. The girls surrounding him cooed in a delighted sort of way. Just when he thought he would get some time alone, chaos' voice broke his dream into tiny, bite-sized pieces.  
  
"Oh, this is perfect for Jr.! Master Gaignun, you gotta see this! It's a charm bracelet with a ruby set into it, and it would match Jr.'s hair perfectly, and I think you should-"  
  
"Do you mind?!" Gaignun suddenly lost his temper. "I'm trying to get acquainted with my lady friends!" While the eyes of Gaignun Sr. burned with ire, those of chaos dropped to the floor in sorrow.  
  
"I... I'm sorry Master Gaignun. I'll leave you alone now..." chaos paid for the charm bracelet and left the shop, dragging his feet sadly. Gaignun watched him go, was about to resume his activities, then was suddenly choked by morals. With a short curse, Gaignun re-tied his tie and bustled out of the shop.  
  
"Sorry, ladies. We'll finish some other time," Gaignun muttered as he left the shop.  
  
Once outside, Gaignun searched the crowd for his friend. The snow drifted here and there, and it brushed against the man's face. He heard the laughter of children and the singing of carols. It took him two full minutes to locate chaos, who was sitting somberly next to a water fountain. He took a rock from seemingly out of nowhere and tossed it into the crystalline pool. It rippled outwards, and chaos watched it intently. Gaignun walked up behind him and watched the ripples spread out.   
  
"I, uh..." Gaignun started. "I didn't get to see what you bought for Jr." A smile started to slide across chaos' face, and he brought out the bag with the charm bracelet in it. Gaignun inspected it with a shrewd eye, then laughed. "For something bought at the last minute, it's very good. I think he'll like it."  
  
"Yes," chaos said, taking his eyes from the shimmering pool. "Now, let's go get some more presents before all the shops close!" chaos grabbed the sleeve of the Kukai Director, and they were off once more into the crowd. They failed to notice Tony and Hammer, fleeing for their lives in the opposite direction. Tony forced Hammer to hide next to the water fountain while Tony covered for him. Hammer fished into his pockets and pulled out a coin. He let it hover over the pool of the water fountain, a smile on his pale face.  
  
"Make a wish, Tony!"  
  
"I wish you'd shut the hell up and watch for those damned lackeys that are after us!" Tony roared through gritted teeth. He heard the faint sound of something falling into water. He rolled his eyes, and he pulled Hammer to his feet. "This is no time for stupid jokes! You friggin' stole something! That ain't no joke, dumbass! Now," he looked up to see someone selling pine trees, "let's hide over there." The two of them ducked and swerved through the crowd, and finally appeared next to the man selling pine trees. He gave them an odd look.  
  
"Here to buy a Christmas tree, boys?"  
  
"Actually," Hammer mused, "we're here to hide behind one."  
  
"Oh if that's all... Hey wait a sec!" The man turned to the two of them, who had immediately gone pale. "There's a 5 G charge on hiding behind my trees."  
  
"Fine, anything!" Tony muttered, shoving some money into the man's hand. The two disappeared into the small grove of pine trees. The older man shook his head, a smile on his lips.  
  
"I get one every year."  
  
The two burly men from the shop grunted as they walked into the square where Tony and Hammer were hiding. They looked around them, seeking out any hiding spot. They spotted the man selling trees, and two identically stupid grins spread over their faces. The marched over to the man, then leaned down to his height.  
  
"Old man, have you seen two guys, one with a wool jacket and the other in a jumpsuit?"  
  
"It's not a jumpsuit!" Hammer yelled from his hiding spot. Tony clamped a hand over his friend's mouth, glaring death threats at him. The man of the trees smiled.  
  
"Yes, they're here," the men started to move, but the Christmas tree man stopped them. "But I'll only give you three guesses as to which tree they're hiding behind. If you guess right, you get them. If you guess wrong, you have to leave or buy a tree. Now, take your guesses, gentlemen."  
  
The two stared out at the small grove. There were probably near a hundred trees out there! One pointed to a fairly tall one.  
  
"How's about that one?"  
  
The Christmas tree man shook his head.  
  
"Er," the other started, looking at a stout tree, "What about that one?"  
  
The Christmas tree man shook his head.  
  
"Okay," the two huddled together, trying to decide on their last pick. "We'll say that one." They both pointed at a short and skinny tree. The Christmas tree man laughed, and shook his head.  
  
"You boys lose! Now, either move on or buy a tree."  
  
"Well, I haven't bought a Christmas tree yet, so..." one man moved to pick up a tree, only to find that Hammer and Tony were hiding behind it. Tony threw his hands over his head, and Hammer pleaded.  
  
"Don't kill us!"  
  
The man with the tree just might have if the Christmas tree man had not whacked him over the head with a stout log. The thug dropped to the ground, unconscious. The Christmas tree man winked that the two outlaws.  
  
"Run boys! I'll hold them off here!"   
  
Tony smiled, and shook the Christmas tree man's hand. Just as they were about to run off, they recognized the man as the bartender at the Ironman bar. As quick as they possibly could Tony and Hammer slithered into the throngs of people like snakes, and were gone in a flash. The bartender turned to the last thug standing.  
  
"To get to them, you'll have to get through me," he stated. Th thug cracked his knuckles. The bartender moved like a flash of light. He planted the log in the ground, using it to push himself up in the air. Before he knew what hit him, the thug fell under the bartender's foot. Both hit the snow at the same time, the thug on his face and the bartender on his feet. He brushed himself off, then looked to where Tony and Hammer had disappeared. "That aught to buy them some time."  
  
Gaignun and chaos had been strolling down the street when they noticed a knot of people next to a vaguely familiar man. He seemed to be telling a story. The two friends made their way closer to tell what he was saying.  
  
"-and they tried to push past me so they could steal a tree! See I couldn't let some stupid thugs like them steal a Christmas tree just steal a Christmas tree! It would be like... stealing the Christmas Spirit! So I knocked one of them out with this trusty log of mine, and I kicked the other in jaw. He's got a nasty bruise, but he deserved it, I say. It just proves to all you thugs out there not to mess with the Ironman, or he'll kick your ass!" There was a cheer of agreement. The bartender's eyes gravitated toward the edge of the crowd, and he instantly recognized Gaignun. "Master Gaignun! So good to see you!" The sea of heads turned to look at Gaignun, who nodded to the bartender.  
  
"A harrowing tale, to say the least."  
  
"Ah, they deserved it, the ruffians. Which reminds me, would you join me over here, and bring your friend?" Slightly confused, the two followed the bartender away from the crowd, and he spoke in a low voice. "Does either of you know two guys, one wearing a jumpsuit and glasses and the other with golden hair and a bad attitude?" He asked. Out of the blue, chaos laughed, ringing like a clear bell.  
  
"Oh, that would be Hammer and Tony! Have you seen them? I think Master Gaignun needs to talk with them."  
  
"Actually," the bartender said, looking a bit sheepish, "They're the reason I beat up those thugs. They looked like they were in trouble, so I let them get away while I took care of the cronies. But they're probably hiding somewhere close."  
  
Gaignun and chaos stared at each other, then were off running into the crowd. 


	6. Mary and Matthews

___Mary and Matthews___  
  
Matthews wished he had a very large gun. He could have used a gun in two ways in that moment. He could have put a bullet in his head to end the misery he was in, or he could have shot the source of that misery. And she happened to be dragging him through the Christmas shoppers by the sleeve of his jacket. Mary Godwin was rambling, and Matthews wanted to kill himself.  
  
"Are y'all gonna buy somethin' for someone, or are y'all gonna be a scrooge and just watch me shop? Oh, lookit that cute doll! I just know Shelley would love it! Oh, and that hat would be perfect for Little Mastah! Are y'all just gonna stare or are y'all gonna buy somethin'? I wonder what Mastah Gaignun is gettin' me? I'm sure he's shoppin' right now, I reckon! I'll betcha he's gettin' me the best, prettiest diamond you ever did see! Ooh, can y'all catch a snowflake on your tongue? I always thought it was the trickiest gall darn thang! Reminds me of when I was five years old, and I tried to catch a chicken! The thang kept slippin' right outta my fingers! Didja know all the snow is artificial? Hey, are y'all gonna get me a present? If y'all ain't gettin' me somethin', I ain't gonna get you nothin'! Oh, look! Carolers!"  
  
Matthews grunted as Mary pulled him through the sea of Christmas shoppers toward the small group of people that was singing. They arrived, and Matthews crossed his arms with a sour look on his face. He glanced at Mary, who was bobbing along with the beat of the song the carolers were singing. She smiled at her companion, who looked like he would rather be dipped in a vat of acid naked than be shopping with Mary Godwin. But she, of course, didn't notice. The Captain sighed, his breath condensing before him in the air.  
  
"Listen, I ain't got no reason to shop for nobody. No one ever gets me anything, so why should I buy them anything? Besides, it was their stupid idea; they can get their own presents. Mary rounded on him, her blonde curls bouncing in rage.  
  
"Now that's just rude!" She screeched. This caught the attention of everyone in the square. "They're out there workin' their butts off to get y'all a present just 'cus y'all made them! I think y'all should at least get them somethin'! It'd be the nice thing to do, anyway!" Now the head of every caroler and everyone that had been listening was turned to Mary and Matthews. The latter cleared his throat, then found the closest gift shop and bolted inside. Mary followed in suit, skipping, seeming to have forgotten the whole debacle.  
  
Matthews' gruff face stared into the prisms of a crystal bowl as he contemplated it closely. Yeah, as if he'd get Tony something that would break so easily. He can't take care of his own wardrobe, so what made Matthews think he could take care of a fragile bowl? He moved on to the next choice. Hair ribbons. Hell no. Hammer looked ridiculous enough without pink hair ribbons in his hair. Matthews moved on. As he speculated a silver lighter, he felt someone's presence hovering over his shoulder. He turned slowly to see Mary peeking at the prospective gift. She beamed.  
  
"Who y'all gettin' that fer?"  
  
"Nobody," Matthews grunted as he moved off. Mary followed, bobbing slightly. They both found themselves facing the magazine rack of the gift shop. He saw a few he knew Tony would appreciate, seeing as they had women in tight clothing on them, and even a few Hammer would have liked. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye. To him, it was like the golden idol. It shone with beauty and light. The perfect gift. It was so perfect...  
  
Matthews stared at the karaoke machine for minutes on end. It called to him like the famed siren's song of old. It wanted him. He needed it. He reached out, if only being able to touch it, and his life would be complete. Before his fingertips could brush the machine, an attendant was standing in front of him, a pearly white smile shining in Matthews' eyes.  
  
"Good evening, sir!" He said, a bit too cheery. "May I help you?"  
  
Matthews could not articulate his thoughts. The beauty of the karaoke machine had blinded him as well as muted him. Mary seemed to understand, though, for she translated for him.  
  
"I think he wants t' know how much that there doohickey costs," Mary said in her signature drawl. The attendant still grinned like a madman, his hands clutched behind his back.  
  
"Of course, sir! That fabulous machine can be yours for only 5,000 gold pieces! I readily recommend it, sir. It's a favorite at-"  
  
"I'll take it," Matthews croaked. His eyes still hung on the shining surface of the machine like a child to its mother. The attendant nodded and ran off to ring Matthews' purchase. Before he knew what he was doing, he had given Hammer and Tony's paychecks to the man and walked out carrying the heavy karaoke machine. Now his smile ran from cheek to cheek. Mary patted him on the back.  
  
"I'm glad y'all decided t' buy the boys a present Cap'n Matthews!"  
  
"I am too," he muttered as he looked down at the glossy surface of his new present. Oh, sure, he would share it with Hammer and Tony. But it was his ship, his rules, and his karaoke machine. All his.  
  
He was rudely shoved aside as two men went running by. They nearly made him drop his beloved karaoke machine! But he was too busy to go after them now. Had he decided to take one more look at the pair vaulting through the crowds, he would have recognized the two of them as Hammer and Tony of his own crew.   
  
Hammer clutched pitifully to the present he had accidentally stolen for Captain Matthews. Tony pushed his way through the crowds, trying to make a path to the shuttle where they would be safe on the Durandal. But there was no such luck to be had. It seemed that the two thugs had talked with the local fuzz, and a whole flock of policemen waited at the entrance to the shuttle. Tony glanced at them from where they hid behind a building. Hammer panted uneasily.  
  
"Maybe we should just give up," he said between gasps of air. Tony glared at him.  
  
"We ain't giving up! We've come this far, and they ain't gonna stop us now!" He tried quickly to formulate a plan... Any plan... His wandering eyes came upon a costume shop, and the hamster in a wheel inside his head began running. Finally, his brain ticked on, and he had an idea. He grabbed at Hammer's sleeve, then pointed at the costume shop. Hammer looked from the shop to his friend, a glazed look in his eye.  
  
"This is Christmas, not Halloween..."  
  
"Shut up, you ass!" Tony said, pointing again to the costume shop. "We go in there, buy two Santa suits, then sneak around until the cops leave!"  
  
"For once, a plan you came up with makes sense!" Hammer cried. He stuffed the half-naked crystalline woman in his pocket, and they both ran for the costume shop.  
  
It was a dreary place. Most everything in there was left over from October's holiday, and it was all on sale. Sure, they could buy a few goblin costumes and parade around, but the Santa suits would be far less conspicuous. So Tony picked out the suits while Hammer tried to con out of paying, for they were low on money. He leaned on the counter, staring in what he thought to be a seductive stare at the female attendant.  
  
"Say, you don't really wanna make us pay, do you? I mean, two good-lookin' guys like us?" Hammer asked. The woman stared at Hammer, then to Tony, who put on his best suave grin. She glared back at Hammer.  
  
"I'm not so sure I like you, but the other guy is pretty cute."  
  
"Hey, she thinks I'm cute!" Tony pointed out, smiling. The girl rolled her eyes a bit, then stared back at Tony.  
  
"Tell you what. You won't have to pay for that if you take off your shirt and pants, dance on top of this counter and sing for me." Tony's happy face suddenly fell in horror. His frightened eyes traveled from the woman to Hammer, who was laughing silently. Sighing, Tony started taking off his muscle shirt. The girl laughed like a giddy chipmunk. Just as Tony began to unzip his pants, the door to the store burst open as a group of seven people walked in, laughing. They stopped immediately when they saw Tony undressing. Everyone stared at each other for a moment, then the group left the store in a hurry. Tony gave an agonized look to the woman. She pointed at his pants.  
  
Five minutes later, Tony had finished his rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in his underwear. The woman was in a fit of ecstatic giggles, her face red as the Santa suits Hammer held in his hands while he shook with laughter. The woman nodded, as a sign they could leave with the suits. Tony put his clothes back on and climbed into the large suit. Hammer was pulling his suit of over his clothes when the woman moved closer to Tony.  
  
"I never got your name," she muttered under her breath. He heard someone knocking forcefully, and he immediately knew it was the police.   
  
"It's Tony," he said quickly glancing at the door. The girl sensed the urgency of the situation.  
  
"Mine's Leah!" She said, then pulled him in and planted a kiss on his lips. She then pulled the Santa beard up over his stunned face. Hammer did this at the same time, just as the police burst into the store. They glared at Leah the Shopkeeper.  
  
"We have eyewitness reports that place two shoplifters in this shop. Have you seen a man with gold hair and another with blonde hair and glasses?"  
  
"No, sorry," Leah said. "My only customers today have been the Good Samaritan Santas. They wanted their suits cleaned, and I did it for them. Now, they said they had to be off caroling," she said. The tone in her voice was one that indicated that it was their time to exit. Tony seemed transfixed, so Hammer played it out.  
  
"Ho, ho, ho, it's about time we left;" Hammer tried to make his voice deeper. He pulled Tony along with him, who was waving goodbye to the comely shopkeeper. They bustled from the shop quickly, and were off into the crowds. The police left in a matter of minutes as well, and resumed their stations at the shuttle-landing pad. Matthews and Mary saw them go, and they wondered what so many policemen were doing about. Mary had said she needed a Santa's Helper outfit for both Shelley and herself for the Christmas party. They decided to check out the costume shop. They entered, Matthews still clutching to his sacred prize. Leah was at the counter, a pleased look on her face, when the two entered. Mary spoke first.  
  
"Two Santa's Lil' Helper costumes, please!" Mary asked. Leah disappeared into the backroom. Matthews shifted his weight.  
  
"Damn, this thing is heavy. If I didn't think Hammer and Tony would like it too, I would just haul it back to the ship," the Captain muttered. Leah suddenly burst from the backroom, chest heaving.  
  
"Did you say Tony?" She asked. Matthews shot her a scrutinizing look.  
  
"Yeah, so what?"  
  
"I just saw him! Tony and the little mousy guy must have been Hammer! The guy with glasses and funky headgear?"  
  
"Yeah that's him," Matthews said, his interest peaked. Leah's face grew tragic.  
  
"They're deep in something, though I don't know what. All I know is that the cops are after them for something. I sent them off uptown in two big Santa suits. Please... You have to help them! I think they're in trouble!"  
  
Mary decided to buy the two costumes before departing after the hunted Tony and Hammer. Matthews ambled after her, carting his large karaoke machine with him. 


	7. MOMO and Shelley

___MOMO and Shelley___  
  
MOMO was in her element. She was surrounded by the lights and warmth of Christmas. The fuzzy stuffed animals, the pointy Christmas stars, the glowing and shining tree lights, and the fresh smell of pine surrounded her. Shelley pulled her jacket close around her, the air crisp and cold. MOMO had seen a cute pink hat, and the storeowner had let her keep it, "because no child should be cold on Christmas Eve." She pulled the knitted hat over the tips of her cold ears, and she immediately began to warm up. She beamed up at Shelley, who seemed amused by everything around her. She glanced this way and that, taking in all of her surroundings. MOMO swung the two bags she had already accumulated by her shopping. Shelley looked at them.  
  
"I forget. Who have you bought gifts for, MOMO?" She asked. MOMO peeked in her bag, then smiled at the older woman.  
  
"I've got gifts for Shion, Allen, Captain Matthews, Hammer, Tony, chaos and Mister Gaignun. I still have to find something for you, Mary, Jr. and Ziggy."  
  
"Oh, you really don't have to get us anything," Shelley murmured, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks. "We'll probably get something from Master Gaignun."  
  
"But it feels so good to give things to others!" MOMO cried, her face alight like the brightest star on the tree. Shelley smiled too, and her gaze fell on a jewelry store not far away.   
  
"Do you want to shop in there?" She asked. MOMO nodded vigorously.  
  
"Yes, I think I could find something for Jr. in there."  
  
Both of them made their way through the snowdrifts to the decked-out jewelry shop. The sign itself seemed to sparkle like the diamonds it held within. Shelley held the door open for MOMO, then followed after. Inside seemed to be a giant red satin pillow. The whole place was covered in the fabric, giving the impression that one was a pearl being showcased. MOMO was enraptured. Shelley thought it was tacky. They stepped inside, noticing the plush, red carpet under their feet. An overly clean-looking man walked up to Shelley, a wide smile on his features.  
  
"Welcome to Bailey's Jewelry, the finest diamonds this side of Michtam! May I be of assistance to you fine ladies?" He asked. MOMO giggled, and immediately stifled it with her hand on her lips. Shelley put a hand on the Realian's shoulder.  
  
"My friend is looking for an earring, I believe," Shelley stated, looking at MOMO. She nodded, her pink hair rustling. The man smiled even wider, if that was possible.  
  
"May I have a description of the one you are buying for?"  
  
"Well," MOMO began, thinking a bit, "He's my height, has bright red hair, really blue eyes, a little hot-headed sometimes, but other times he's nice as anyone you can think of!" She finished her description, and the man bustled off. He returned in a minute with a single earring laying on, what else, a satin pillow. It was a copper earring that was almost the same length as the one Jr. presently wore. It was a single copper wire laid with two braided copper strands. The copper was tinged slightly green. At the bottom was set a glistening black stone. MOMO's eyes grew wide as she stared at it. Shelley knew exactly what the girl was thinking.  
  
"How much?" She asked.   
  
"2,550 gold pieces," he said in a sultry tone. Shelley smirked, remembering what the Captain had said about everything going on Tony and Hammer's paychecks.  
  
"Make the bill out to Tony or Hammer of the Elsa Von Brabant, please," Shelley said with pride. He nodded, taking the earring and placing it in a box lined with red satin. MOMO delicately placed the box in one of her shopping bags, and they were off. MOMO twirled in the snow, feeling the cold flakes on her warm skin. It felt so good to be doing good things for people. She had never felt so warm inside. Since Shelley said she and Mary didn't want presents, that only left one person for her to shop for. It caused her to stop spinning immediately.  
  
Ziggy. MOMO didn't know what to buy for him. Everyone else's presents had been easy to shop for. But Ziggy was different. What could she give him that he didn't already have, or used to have? He had lived for nearly 100 years... What could he possibly want? What could a little Realian girl possibly give him? Her formerly chipper attitude dropped from her face, and the world was suddenly cold again. Shelley approached her from behind, noticing her sudden change in attitude.  
  
"MOMO," Shelley started," What's wrong?" MOMO turned her sad face to Shelley. It was like none of the presents ever mattered. She was cold now, and her face showed it. She could even articulate her words.  
  
"I... Ziggy... can't..." She tried so hard to get her point across, but nothing came. After stuttering for another moment, MOMO felt tears trying to come into her eyes. Hastily, not wanting Shelley to see her cry, MOMO dashed off into the crowd, still holding the two brown shopping bags. Shelley moved to go after, but almost ran into two men in Santa suits. She puzzled over the one in glasses for only a moment, then moved around them. The two heard her crying MOMO's name as she ran off. Tony looked at Hammer, glaring at his glasses.  
  
"Those damn things will give us away!" He snatched them from his face. Hammer nearly shrieked.   
  
"I can't see a thing without my glasses!"  
  
"Then get contacts! The glasses are too conspicuous."  
  
"Ooh, someone has a dictionary handy," Hammer mocked as he tried to grope for his glasses. Tony held them threateningly close to the foot traffic around them.  
  
"I'll drop 'em, Hammer. Don't think I won't."  
  
"Look Tony, you're Santa, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"And Santa spreads good will and cheer, right?  
  
"Right."  
  
"Then gimme my glasses and start spreading some cheer already!" Hammer grabbed his glasses at last and slipped them over the bridge of his nose. Tony grumbled. Then he noticed that their small bout had gathered a tiny audience, so he grabbed Hammer and made him start moving again.  
  
"We need to blend in more," Tony whispered. Hammer's ears picked up the faint singing of carolers, and he suddenly formed an idea.  
  
"What if we went around singing carols, swinging by the shuttle occasionally until the cops clear out? Sound good?"  
  
"Hammer," Tony said, his eyes a-glimmer. "If you were a girl, and you were hot, and you weren't you at all, then I'd kiss you."  
  
"I'll take a note," Hammer grumbled. He bribed two young carolers of their songbooks by giving them both a gold piece each. Then the two of them began to sing "Silent Night." Oh, how so many of the citizens of the Kukai Foundation wished that it was indeed a silent night. The notes warbled their way out of the throats of the two men in a horrid cacophony that frightened small children as they passed. The two singers were oblivious to just how bad they sung. They just made their way down the main street, singing their hearts out in attempts to remain inconspicuous. They failed miserably. But, at least, they did not gain the attention of the police, for two caroling Santas were not exactly the most suspect in a shoplifting crime.  
  
They made their loop a few times, passing the shuttle each time. And every time, there was a barricade. Sadly, each time, they would make their way back into town. There were only five songs in the books they "borrowed," so they had to jumble them up occasionally. They went from "Silent Night" to "Deck the Halls" to "Jingle Bells" to "Rudolph" to "Oh Christmas Tree" and back again. It was really very, very sad. One person, though, was oblivious to their singing. She sat, sniffling lightly, at the edge of a water fountain. She was ignoring everything around her. She was so intently focused on the thoughts in her mind that she couldn't hear anything else.  
  
It wasn't fair. Ziggy had been so nice to her, and she could even buy him a simple present. Sure, he hadn't asked for anything, but neither had she. MOMO felt like it was her duty to find something Ziggy would like. She wiped a tear that fell from her eye. Presently, she knew someone was standing over her. Without looking, she knew who it was.  
  
"Hello, Shelley," she said sadly. Shelley sat down next to her, wondering whether she should put a comforting arm on her shoulder or not. Finally, she decided to, and wrapped an arm around the small Realian. MOMO sniffled.   
  
"What's got you miffed?" Shelley asked. The younger one looked at her feet.  
  
"I... I don't know what to get Ziggy for Christmas."  
  
"Do you know what he might like?"  
  
MOMO shook her head.  
  
"Did you see anything he might like?"  
  
MOMO shook her head.  
  
"Well... I've got what I need for Mary and Master Gaignun. What do you say we head back for the Elsa? I'm sure you'll get an idea once we're there." Shelley helped MOMO to her feet, and the Realian nodded.  
  
"Yes, I guess so." She picked up her bags, and the two of them headed for the shuttle. A few policemen were standing idly around, talking about shoplifters. MOMO and Shelley entered the shuttle and made their way back. All of the ride, MOMO's eyes never left her feet. Shelley began to worry. This really was troubling her badly. And Shelley didn't want MOMO's holiday to be ruined. But... what would a cyborg want for Christmas? She knew that MOMO and Ziggy were close, perhaps closer than both of them knew, but Shelley was still puzzled. She knew why MOMO was so upset.  
  
They reached the Elsa and moved inside, MOMO heading toward the cafe. It was then that a brilliant idea formed in Shelley's mind. She decided to slip it to MOMO subliminally and see if she would catch the drift.  
  
"You know," she started, "I bet everyone will be hungry when they get back, especially Ziggy."  
  
MOMO stared at her friend, and then the subliminal message broke on her face like a wave on a rock. It splashed over her features, which gradually brightened. Slowly, she nodded, and moved toward the kitchen. Shelley decided not to follow. This was MOMO's present. She didn't want to intervene. She turned on the small potable U.M.N. device, and was surprised to hear the news that came from the small speaker.  
  
"Two shoplifters are currently being searched for on the Kukai Foundation. We have composite sketches of the perpetrators. If anyone has seen them, please contact the Kukai Foundation-" Shelley switched off the U.M.N. device as soon as she'd seen the sketches. They looked exactly like Hammer and Tony. She poked her head into the kitchen to tell MOMO she had left something on the Foundation and would be right back. She rushed to the shuttle, knowing she had to get to them before the police did. 


	8. Jr and Ziggy

___Jr. and Ziggy___  
  
The small, red-headed man came stumbling into the city, the breath gone from his body. He would have collapsed in the snow if Ziggy's mocking words had not been burning in his head. Renewed by the flame of competition, Jr. pushed his spine up until he was standing tall once more. He gazed out at his people, who milled about him as if he wasn't there. He glared at them, silently hoping they were crushed by a piano or whatnot. Gathering his pride off the ground, Jr. dragged himself along, trying haggardly to catch his breath. Slowly, it came back to him, and he sighed in relief. Now the question came...  
  
What would the cyborg get her that could be better than Jr.'s present?  
  
Jr. smirked, an evil laugh escaping his slightly parted lips, then he stopped abruptly. He didn't have anything for MOMO yet. It was as if Doomsday was upon him, the way he tore through the streets. Snow flew into the air as his shoes barely skidded over the surface. His eyes moved in his head back and forth, until they, too, were worn out. Finally, he tripped over his own feet and fell sprawling on the ground. He kept his burning face in the snow for a good long while, letting the laughing around him subside into nothingness. Feeling embarrassed, Little Master pushed himself to his feet and wiped the snow from his person. But, being the way that he was, Jr. felt inclined to blame his fall on someone else.  
  
'Damn that cyborg,' he thought. 'Because he challenged me, he caused me to rush in and hurt myself. I've just got to stay calm...'  
  
Before he was done with his thought, he was again running around, waving his arms wildly in the air around him. He dashed here and there, accosting random people and asking what he should get MOMO for Christmas. They either brushed him off, greeted him with a "Hello, Little Master," or gave him some sort of tiny pill they said would calm him down. By the time he was out of energy again, he had a total of 13 pills of different shapes and sizes. He threw them into the snowdrift and cursed their many names.  
  
'Get a hold of yourself, Jr.,' he thought as he forced himself to sit on a bench. 'The cyborg was probably trying to get your goat. He probably hasn't got a present for her either. So just settle down and think about it.' Considering whom the advice was from, it actually did him some good. He sat there, pondering, looking like an ancient statue. Hair barrettes? No, too small. New dress? No, Jr. had no fashion sense. Shiny guns? No, he was thinking about a GIRL here. But he made a mental note about the guns just in case.   
  
Being the man that he was, Jr. seemed physically unable to sanely ask any person to help him shop. When he had gathered up all his courage, he forced himself to walk into a shop filled with all sorts of dainty objects. China plates, wind chimes, crystal figurines of galloping unicorns, all those fancy things. He was disgusted. Never had he seen a more horrifying display of girly things. He was about to recoil out of the store when two men grabbed him on the shoulder.  
  
"Good evening, sir!" One of them chimed in a high voice.  
  
"It is indeed!" The other one called, in an equally feminine voice. Jr. was mortified. He tried to struggle out of their grips, but it was no use, for they dragged him further into the sea of china and crystal. Jr.'s gay-dar immediately told him that these men were not quite men, at least, in the sense that Jr. was. Jr. liked women. These two liked each other. Again, Jr. was disgusted. And they were touching him.  
  
"What is the sweet Little Master doing out on such a cold night alone?" The first one asked. His nametag read "Phillip."  
  
"Poor Little Master, all alone on Christmas Eve!" The other crooned. His nametag stated that he was "Gregory."  
  
"I'm not alone!" Jr. said forcefully, trying to extricate himself from the men's grasp. But, alas, it was for naught, for they held fast. Phillip inclined his head, a wide smile forming on his smooth face.  
  
"Oh, so Little Master has a date then?"  
  
Jr. blushed visibly, his thoughts immediately going to MOMO. "No!" He blurted on accident. Gregory raised his eyebrows.  
  
"So Little Master IS alone!"  
  
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here," Jr. grumbled, now giving up on escaping. Phillip tweaked Jr.'s cheek playfully, and Jr. swiped at his arm.  
  
"Then what is Little Master doing out so late?"  
  
"I'm shopping! For a girl!"  
  
The two were crestfallen. Gregory stared at Phillip, and they both wept openly in each others arms. Heartbroken as they were, then sniffled and returned to their duties. Gregory wiped his nose, then turned again to Jr.  
  
"Just what are you looking for?" He asked sadly. Jr. put his hands in his pockets, glad to be out of the hands of the two of them.  
  
"I'm not quite sure, but I know it has to be the best present ever. That old man isn't going to out-present ME..." Jr. had forgotten not to say the last part out loud, and Phillip and Gregory both exchanged mischievous grins.  
  
"Competing for love, are we, Little Master?" Phillip asked. Jr.'s face burned again.  
  
"No! I mean- Maybe... Possibly..." Jr. kicked the ground awkwardly, and Gregory laughed, leading Jr. to the plush animal rack in the front of the store.  
  
"I am sure that whoever this lady is, Little Master, that she's quite the lady to win your affections. So she'll need a present straight from your heart." Gregory picked an animal off the shelf and placed it in Jr.'s hands. It was a duck. A fucking duck. Jr. threw it down in anger.  
  
"A duck?! You're insane!" He sat himself down in front of the stuffed animal rack, a peeved look on his face. "I'm gonna go through every animal here until I find the perfect one for MOMO! Just you wait!"  
  
*~*  
  
Ziggy strolled casually down the main street of the old-fashioned sectors of town. Namely the familiar streets of the 26th and 27th Sectors. A few faces he had seen before waved to him, and he nonchalantly waved back. His cyborg feet crunched the fresh snow underneath, and his normally noisy steps were considerably softened by the white cushion he walked on. He had borrowed a long coat from one man he had previously met in the Ironman bar, and thanked him. Now he was much warmer, and he was also feeling happy for the first time in a while. It was only another block ahead that he noticed his destination. He waved to the woman standing at the counter of the Bakery (who was, again, being watched by the strange man in black), and then he started up the steps to the store above the Bakery. He walked in, a tiny bell sounding above him. The stout woman turned, a smile on her face.  
  
"Why, I remember you!" She said, shaking his human hand vigorously. "It was you and your friends that helped save my little boy! I still don't know how I can ever thank you!" She still shook his hand, and he began to feel pain inching its way up his muscles. He made a polite sound in the back of his throat, and the pressure of her hand was soon released. "Oh, sorry, I just get emotional sometimes..." She smiled again, and Ziggy rubbed the circulation back into his hand.  
  
"Actually," he began, looking around the shop at all the clothes lying strewn about, "I was hoping that you could help me with something."  
  
"Anything!" The woman offered him. Ziggy clapped his hands together.  
  
"I need to make something. It's a Christmas present for..." he trailed off, looking once again to his feet, "for a friend." The woman smiled slyly.  
  
"It's that little girl, isn't it?" She asked. Ziggy's head shot up quickly, and the woman laughed. "I knew it was. The way you was always protecting her and whatnot during the invasion... Well, I think it's real sweet of you. Not many folks want to be making their presents anymore. What is it you'll be wanting to make?" She looked away for one moment, then back to where Ziggy had been standing, only to find that he had moved into the store.  
  
"I'll need a few yards of pink fabric, preferably soft material, a foot or two of similar-colored yarn, thread and a small peach-shaped patch."  
  
The woman had no idea what the strange half-man, half-machine would make out of such things, but she knew that when someone was in a state such as he was, there was no way of telling him different. So she just smiled, and told her little boy to help the man pick out his things. She had to go fetch the sewing machine.  
  
She could hear things toppling over on the floor beneath her as she grabbed the ancient sewing machine from her room and cleared the layers of dust from it. It would have to do, if the cyborg wanted to make it by himself. She carefully carted it down the stairs, making sure not to fall, and arrived back in the main room just as her boy walked in, carrying all the materials Ziggy had asked for, plus pins and scissors. Ziggy pulled a chair up to the sewing machine and relieved the boy of his burden.  
  
"I thank you both," he said, nodding at them each in turn. "Now, I think that this job may be done faster if perhaps both of you..." Ziggy didn't want to ask them to leave. That would be just rude. But the woman knew what he meant, and backed out of the room.  
  
"I think we'll leave you to your work, Mr. ..." She realized she didn't know his name. She inclined her head slightly, and Ziggy knew what she meant.  
  
"Just call me Ziggy," he told her. She nodded knowingly, then shut the door noiselessly. Ziggy was alone in the room then. Just the sewing machine, a pile of materials, and him.   
  
He had a lot of work to do.  
  
*~*  
  
"No!" Jr. cried, throwing aside another stuffed animal. It struck Phillip on the forehead. Jr. grabbed another stuffed creature. This one was a purple hippo. He glared at it. "No!" He tossed it aside, and it landed harmlessly at Gregory's feet. He looked sympathetically at the shopper. Jr. was in a mad rage now. One after another, he tossed stuffed animal after stuffed animal from his sight, screaming, "No, no, no, NO!!" He was so angered he kicked the whole shelf to the ground. Phillip and Gregory cringed in unison, and held each other's hands in fear. Just as it seemed like Jr. was about to pounce and rip them to shreds, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. It was pink. It was cute. It was perfect.  
  
Jr. took the animal up in his arms, staring at it. He searched it with his eyes for any imperfections, and scanned it over and over. It was simple with no extra embellishments, so Jr. asked for two pink ribbons. The two men fetched them for him. He then glued the ribbons on top of the thing's head, almost like they were holding pigtails. He nodded, a grin spreading over his face as melted butter would. He held out the gift triumphantly to Gregory and Phillip and uttered three words.  
  
"Ring it up."  
  
Jr. exited the strange store with pride swelling in his breast, almost enough to cause him to explode. He sat down and inspected his purchase again. He just knew MOMO would love it. Or at least he hoped he knew she would love it. Or maybe he thought he hoped he knew she would love it. Aw, screw it, he was pretty sure she would like it. He would have sat there for many more minutes on end if he hadn't been distracted by two caroling Santas that were horribly out of tune. About five minutes after they had passed, a whole throng of policemen ran by, obviously chasing after someone.  
  
Jr. got up from his seat, placing the present back in the bag. He couldn't miss out on a good old cop chase. And if it was someone he knew, he would probably be able to get them out of it if it wasn't too evil. Say, like murder. So Gaignun Jr. fairly skipped along after the police, oblivious to the strange stares he was fetching as he cavorted in the snow after a yelling bunch of law enforcers.  
  
*~*  
  
"Dammit!" Ziggy cursed for what seemed the 50th time, although he had been counting and knew it to be exactly the 23rd time he had uttered the word since he had began. He knew that this wasn't the way it was supposed to turn out. It was supposed to look like something, not an unidentifiable blob of nothingness. Of course, he was being too hard on himself. It did almost look like the item he had been attempting to sew together. Both the woman and her child had been peeking in on Ziggy's progress, and they cringed every time they heard that word, and even a few more which will remain unmentioned. But he never gave up. She had to give it to the cyborg: He was pertinacious to a point. But he looked as if he were looking confidence. Slowly, she opened the door.  
  
"Err... sir?" She asked, stepping inside the room. Ziggy looked up from crouching over his work. He looked ridiculous, slouching over the ancient sewing machine the way he was, sewing together the strange-looking object. Ziggy stood, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.  
  
"Forgive me. I never truly learned how to operate such an apparatus. I must have gotten frustrated. But, please..." Ziggy sat back down and lay his hand close to the needle. "Don't help me. I feel like I must do this of my own accord."  
  
"I know how you feel. It's only special if it comes from you the way you make it, am I right?" The woman asked, eyeing Ziggy curiously. Ziggy nodded, starting the electric sewing machine up again.  
  
"Something like that." Ziggy returned to his work, and was much more adept than he had been before they had spoken with each other. In only another short 20 minutes, he had finished. The boy fetched a box, and Ziggy lay his present down inside carefully. He tucked the precious package under his arm and held it snugly. The woman patted his arm and smiled.  
  
"I think that little girl will like it whether or not it looks like all those other gifts. She'll like it because it comes from you. Now you go back to your daughter and give her something to be cheerful about. After all, it is Christmas."  
  
Ziggy was shocked for a few moments, mostly that this woman thought that he and MOMO were father and daughter. The first thought he processed was that they looked absolutely nothing alike. But he thanked her anyways, and was off, not without waving farewell to them. He was almost run over by a man dashing past him. The man said a quick apology, but Ziggy held him back, noticing that many other people seemed to be running in that direction.  
  
"What's going on?" Ziggy asked. The man smiled widely.  
  
"There's two shoplifters in Santa suits that's about to be arrested!" He was gone in a flash. Ziggy made sure the present was safe under his arm, then took off with everyone else. He had an odd feeling that told him that he knew these Santas.  
  
AN: Sorry there's not another Hammer nd Tony bit in here, but I thought there was enough going on with Jr. and Ziggy without Hammer and Tony cavorting about to. Don't worry, they're in the next one! Oh yeah, and a quick shout out to Tsukasa, Lady Nightmare, Angel-chan and FF Fangirl H! Thanks for reading! 


	9. Allen, Shion & KOSMOS

___ Allen, Shion & KOS-MOS___  
  
"I have confirmed the presence of Allen Ridgeley." KOS-MOS' metallic voice came from behind Shion as they both peeked around a building. "He appears to be accompanied by another humanoid, age ranging from 60-70 years, height-"  
  
"Okay, KOS-MOS," Shion hissed through her teeth. She focused her attention on the shop in front of her, where KOS-MOS had told her that Allen and an elderly man had gone. She searched frantically for any sign of his vibrant orange hair, but she was having no luck. All she could see over the shelves inside was an annoyingly large top hat. She let the idea brew in her head for a moment, then nodded fiercely. "KOS-MOS," she caught the attention of the android.  
  
"Yes, Shion?"  
  
"Put on a jacket and ball you hair up into a hat. We're going to find out what Allen is gonna get me!" They disappeared into a clothing shop and emerged only minutes later, decked out in two identical trench coats and black hats. KOS-MOS' long blue hair was shoved up into the hat, so as to be less conspicuous. Unfortunately, due to the amount of hair KOS-MOS had, it stuck out here and there from under the brim of her stocking cap. Shion slipped a pair of sunglasses over KOS-MOS' eerily red eyes to hide them, and Shion removed her own glasses. They were nigh unrecognizable.   
  
"Shion," KOS-MOS stated. "My sensors read that your visual acuity has decreased by 30.976%."   
  
"I know that," she told her creation as she stumbled slightly. The blurry world around her swam for a moment, then righted itself. "I need to disguise myself so Allen won't recognize me."  
  
"I do not comprehend your logic." KOS-MOS stared into Shion's now watery eyes. Shion blinked, unable to correct her eyesight.  
  
"Okay, just imagine this. Allen is the enemy, but we don't want to kill him. It's a reconnaissance mission. We want to collect information and return to the base, the Elsa."  
  
"Allen Ridgeley is not stored in my databanks as an enemy. He is Second-in-command, Vector Engineering, First Division-"  
  
"I get it, I get it!" Shion gasped. trying to quiet KOS-MOS. She sighed lightly, then decided what would be the best thing to say. "Don't let Allen see you."  
  
"Affirmative," KOS-MOS said with a nod. Quietly as they could, the two snuck over to the shop they had seen Allen and the old man disappear into. Shion searched the place, then found that she could not see.   
  
"Is Allen anywhere close?" She asked KOS-MOS.  
  
"Negative. Allen is located at the rear of the building, second floor."  
  
"Thanks, KOS-MOS," Shion said under her breath, then they entered the shop. It was bedecked with garish Christmas decorations. You know the ones. The singing Santas that rock out to jazzy Christmas tunes, the dancing wreath, the flashing lights that cause seizures and the like. Shion shielded her already fragile eyes from the strobe-like beat of the lights, and attempted to find the way to the second floor. She was approached from all sides by overly enthusiastic attendants, but they were all shoved aside by KOS-MOS. Shion was immensely glad that she had brought the android along. After finding the escalated moving walkway, they stepped on and were taken to the upper floor. As soon as they did, KOS-MOS shoved Shion into a clothes rack. Shion make a high sound in her throat, but was silenced by KOS-MOS. She saw why they had jumped into the clothes rack. Allen and the old man strolled by not an instant later. Allen was talking genially with the man, who was laughing in what seemed to be a very familiar tone. She caught a snatch of their conversation as they walked by.  
  
"Shion's the greatest girl I know. But she never lets on what she wants or how she's feeling. I just wish she would talk to me outside of work and data and all of those kinds of things." Allen looked at his feet. The old man nodded.  
  
"Perhaps the girl is not quite so sure what she wants herself. Now, over her there are some very nice hats..." They moved on, and Shion was left to shock. KOS-MOS was utterly indifferent.  
  
"You pulse has increased to 188 beats per minute. I suggest rest," she advised Shion. The woman pulled herself together, and shook her head.  
  
"No, we need to keep following him."  
  
"I will gather all the needed information. You remain here. I shall return in approximately 4.598 minutes." With that, KOS-MOS moved from the clothes rack and out of Shion's limited vision range. Maybe KOS-MOS was right, and she needed to rest. So she sat there, waiting.  
  
"No, none of these hats seem right for her," Allen said, his voice melancholy. The old man rubbed his chin in thought.  
  
"Maybe she would like something more along the lines of a giant robot- I mean..."  
  
"No, that sounds just like her," Allen told the man when he tried to correct himself. A smile crawled over Allen's lips. "She always has her nose in some new machine, tinkering and fiddling with it. She'd say 'Allen, can you get me a socket wrench?' Then I'd say, 'Sure, Chief, no problem.' But I don't think I could wrap a giant robot."  
  
"Maybe not, but you might possibly be able to buy her-"  
  
Their conversation became low and whispered, and try as she might, KOS-MOS could barely understand what they were speaking about. But her sensors had finally indicated the identity of the man Allen was talking with. Had Shion not ordered her to remain unseen, she would have immediately given the man something she had been meaning to give him. Then, as quick as she could blink, they had left. She tracked them to find that they had ascended to the third floor.   
  
"Shion," she called. The Vector engineer emerged from the clothing rack, surprising the woman who had been about to search it. "Allen and his companion have moved on to the third level. I suggest a pursuit."  
  
"I agree! Let's go."  
  
The two of them followed as clandestine as possible, and emerged to see Allen at the jewelry section of the large store. Shion's eyes grew wide, like a hungry child eying a tasty pie. She would have tried to get a closer look had two Santa not burst onto the upper floor, knocking Shion and KOS-MOS to the ground. The commotion alerted everyone in the store to their presence... All but Allen, who was enraptured by the jewelry. Shion was incredibly astonished to find Tony's bright green eyes hiding behind the Santa beard and suit.  
  
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle," Tony whispered huskily as he sat atop Shion. Hammer, who seemed to be the other Santa, pulled Tony off of the poor woman forcefully.  
  
"T- Tony! What are you doing here..? In a Santa suit?" Shion asked.   
  
"Long story, babe," Tony said, glancing over his shoulder. She could see why. A whole pack of policemen had emerged from nowhere, and were charging up the moving walkway. Hammer shrieked like a woman and dashed off, pulling Tony with him. The police shoved their way past Shion and KOS-MOS. With a slight bump from a passing cop, KOS-MOS' hat fell from her head, and her shiny blue hair fell down her back. Everyone gathered stopped to 'ooh' and 'ahh' over her hair. But Shion was torn. Help Tony and Hammer or spy on Allen? She turned to see that both Allen and the old man were gone. She had made up her mind then  
  
"As much as I want to find out what Allen is planning, we have to follow Tony and Hammer. Okay, KOS-MOS?"  
  
"I await orders, Shion," the android droned. Shion nodded, and they dashed off after the group. Allen had moved on to the other side of the jewelry display, observing everything before him. The old man smiled. His job was done. The lad now had the confidence to find what he needed for the girl. Quietly, he stole away, out of the store, and into the falling snow. It was quieting down as nightfall grew deeper. He looked around, seemingly searching for someone, then noticed someone sitting at the water fountain. He gave a small chuckle and went to him.  
  
The blonde man in uniform stood up, smiling at the man.  
  
"Did you do the job, Professor?" He asked. The man handed the coat down to his assistant and got down off of his large shoes.  
  
"Yes, Assistant Scott, I believe the boy will know what to get her now."  
  
"Do you think he knows who you were?" Assistant Scott asked. The Professor shook his head.  
  
"The boy never came to my lab, but I knew he was shopping for that young Shion the moment I seen him. Though I did let something about a giant robot slip."  
  
"Professor, you didn't!"  
  
"Ah, shut-up, Assistant Scott. Dang, those shoes hurt. Anyway, we better get back to the lab. Those robots won't build themselves!" The two walked a ways, walking past Gaignun, chaos, Mary, Matthews, Shelley, Jr. and Ziggy at different intervals. They waved politely, not knowing where they all were headed. As they disappeared into the new snowfall, Assistant Scott's voice could barely be heard floating through the air.  
  
"Didja get me a present, Professor?"  
  
Back in the store, Allen was absolutely oblivious to all the commotion around him. He had found a good gift for Shion, but not the perfect gift. He spied it again. Definitely not perfect. He gave it back to the woman who had let him inspect it, then continued to scrutinize the other possible choices. He needed to find something that was just right. Something that would make her gasp. Something... that was exactly like the gift he was standing right in front of! He jumped up and down like a giddy schoolgirl, clapping his hands. He hugged everyone in sight. He then produced his own money, for he couldn't let poor Hammer and Tony pay for this.   
  
He was about to exit the store with his fine purchase when he was suddenly met by a whole flock of familiar faces. The crew of the Elsa, minus Hammer and Tony, the first and second-in-command of the Kukai Foundation, the two Godwin sisters, and the cyborg. A wide, frog-like smile spread over Allen's face as he saw them.  
  
"Hey guys! I just finished shopping and-"  
  
Everyone started talking at once. The poor man was overwhelmed by the sudden burst of voices.  
  
"-and the carolers in Santa suits-"  
  
"-bought this cute little pink thing for-"  
  
"-singing horribly out of tune-"  
  
"-back on the Elsa, making-"  
  
"-heard from the police that-"  
  
"-dancing in his underwear-"  
  
"-blockaded the shuttle landing and-"  
  
"-shoplifters are Hammer and Tony!"  
  
The last thing Mary had shouted at the top of her lungs. Everyone turned to her, and she turned a deep red in the face, looking everywhere but at the faces of those that stared at her.  
  
"Well, it's true, ain't it?"  
  
"Mary is right," Ziggy said in a dull tone. "I believe that the two of them may be in grave danger." He looked around him, then turned to Shelley. He toned his voice down to a whisper as chaos started to talk to Allen. "Where is MOMO?" He asked. Shelley looked around her for a moment, then seemed to remember.  
  
"She's fine. She's back on the Elsa. I didn't want her to get mixed up in all this," Shelley said. Ziggy nodded sagely.  
  
"That was good judgment on your part."  
  
"What are we standin' around here for, then?" Matthews cried, still holding onto his karaoke machine. "Let's go kick some cop ass!"  
  
The whole group moved off as one, like a flock of birds. It was going to be some showdown. 


	10. Merry Christmas, ya morons!

Their footsteps echoed through the now nearly empty department store. Everyone had either finished their Christmas shopping or was staring blankly at the strange collection of organisms running past them. Some of the runners were human, but there were at least two that were undecidedly so. A small child, holding an oversized ball, pointed at KOS-MOS as she passed.  
  
"Mommy, it's a robot!" He cried, his finger punctuating the air toward KOS-MOS. The android has shed her long trench coat, seeing as it constricted her movement. She ignored the tiny life form and continued running. Matthews was last in line, still carting his beloved karaoke machine. It seemed to be quite the struggle, the way he carried on about its girth. It was Ziggy at the front of the brigade, warning all those that stood in their warpath. He shouted for them to move out of the way, so as not to be trampled. They took his advice. If a cyborg were charging in your direction at full speed, you would get out of the way too.  
  
They careened through the hallways, searching for the officers that had taken off after Tony and Hammer. As they drew closer, they could hear the shouts from both the chasers and the chased. Gaignun drew level with Ziggy, and he reached for something in his pocket. Ziggy kept his eyes on his destination, and suddenly threw a hand out to stop Gaignun. Had he not, the Kukai Director surely would have fallen into a web of policemen, knitted together closely. The cyborg and Gaignun could barely see over the heads of the officers, but they were sure that anyone within a 100-foot radius would have heard the screams.  
  
"Calm down, boys!" The police shouted. Gaignun could clearly make out that the officers had surrounded Hammer and Tony, who were now in the middle of the circle. "We're not gonna shoot you!"  
  
"Says who?" Hammer shrieked, clutching to Tony's arm. Tony shook him off, glaring at everyone simultaneously.   
  
"Says them, stupid," he muttered under his breath.   
  
"Just give us the trinket you stole, and your sentence will be shortened by at least a week!" The police shouted. Hammer shook nervously. Tony nodded severely at his friend. Swallowing obviously, Hammer reached into the Santa suit and grasped what appeared to be the object they had purloined. Matthews and Shelley got close, trying to peer at just what had caused so much trouble. Hammer had begun to sweat profusely. Slowly, he moved his hand out of the suit. His eyes flicked from the officers, to Tony, to where his arm was going into the suit. Finally, after agonized minutes of waiting, Hammer pulled the crystalline figure of the half-naked woman out of his pocket.   
  
There was such a silence as never was heard before. It fell on everyone like a ton of mortar. There were no adequate words to describe the humility and embarrassment the two of them felt. His face red with anger, Matthews rose his voice and it struck like a clap of thunder.  
  
"That's IT?!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. Every face turned to him, and Hammer and Tony blanched.  
  
"C-C-Captain?!" Hammer stuttered. With the brief distraction caused by Matthews' outburst, Jr. ran forward toward Ziggy, who catapulted Little Master high into the air. Jr. landed within the circle, guarding Hammer and Tony. He drew his guns with a slick movement. A grin crept over his face.  
  
"All right," he muttered under his breath. He was ready to take on every one of them. He had his trusty guns at the ready. He pointed one at the head of the closest policeman. Ready... Aim...  
  
"Jr., please stop making a fool of yourself." Gaignun pleaded. The policemen moved aside as Gaignun walked past. Jr.'s expression drooped.  
  
"Aww, but I never get to have any fun..." He whined. Gaignun shook his head and pulled what he had been grasping from his pocket out. It was a pen. He turned on heel, pointing the pen at the surrounding officers.  
  
"Now, gentlemen," Gaignun mused, whipping out a piece of paper from nowhere, "Let us forget this incident. It really is rather foolish of you to cause such a disturbance for such a trifling trinket." He stared every policeman in the eyes, and slowly, the backed off. Gaignun wrote a few lines on the piece of paper he held, then handed it to one of the men. "This should take care of any loose threads."   
  
Slowly, the crowd began to melt away. It left Hammer and Tony exposed to their friends. Gaignun turned to stare at the two disheveled creatures in front of him. They shook and laughed nervously, glancing everywhere but in the eyes of their friends. The combined burning glares of Gaignun and Matthews were almost too much to bear. Without another single word, Hammer thrust the figure into Matthew's hands.  
  
"Merry Christmas!" They both shouted at once.   
  
Another great silence followed, and one could almost hear the heartbeats of the nearly convicted. Matthews stared at the crystal figure, and a thin smile cracked over his face. Then, like the sun after a storm, Matthews laughed in his broad, heavy chuckle. He grasped the present firmly and nodded.  
  
"If you morons got caught stealin' a present for anyone else, I woulda shaved both of your heads with a razor." He studied the figurine, and his smile grew wider. "But, since you were stealin' it for me, I guess that's okay." He motioned for the two of them to stand, and they did so with an unnatural rigidity. "Let's get back to the Elsa. We still gotta wrap these damn presents. And take off those stupid Santa suits. You look like a pair of morons."  
  
Everyone breathed out at once. Then the new attitude picked up was a felicitous one. Everyone was asking everyone else what they got whom for Christmas. Of course, no one would tell. It would be sacrilege to tell a Christmas present. Jr. even went so far as to point out that you would go to Hell for telling someone their Christmas present. No one doubted him, for he had read books, and they seemed to be a very learned source. They slowly made their way to the shuttle, talking together congenially and laughing. All but Ziggy and Shelley, who seemed to be having a very dour conversation. But upon closer inspection, one would find they were exchanging ideas on what MOMO had gotten everyone. They were just saying these things in such monotone voices that it would be hard to tell that they were not discussing something malignant.  
  
The blockade at the shuttle was gone, and the spirits of Tony and Hammer began to lift. It was only just as everyone was boarding that Tony turned around to face the city once more. He took the Santa hat from his head and laced it on his heart.  
  
"I'll never forget you, lady that made me dance in my underwear," he muttered under his breath. He sighed quietly and moved to board the shuttle with the others. Inside, the two of them extricated themselves from the Santa suits. It was a short ride to the Durandal, and once there, they boarded the Elsa. All was quiet onboard, and no one stirred. Matthews punched the light switch, and the rows of lights suddenly burst into life. They lit up the corridor, and Ziggy stepped forward.  
  
"MOMO?" He called, his resonating voice echoing down the long hall. He saw MOMO's pink hair peek out from the kitchen door. A wide smile spread over her flour-covered face.  
  
"You're back so soon?" She asked, looking at the whole troupe. Ziggy, Jr. and Shelley moved toward MOMO and the kitchen, while the others made their way to the bridge to put their presents under Douglass the Maple Christmas Tree. MOMO quickly exited the kitchen and closed the door firmly behind her. She looked innocently up at the cyborg.  
  
"Whatcha makin' in there?" Jr. asked, peering at the flour spots on MOMO's apron. She pressed her back up against the kitchen door.  
  
"None of your business, nosey," she said, sticking her tongue out at him playfully. He harrumphed lightly, crossing his arms. Ziggy ruffled her hair lightly, and she laughed.  
  
"I'm just glad you're all right. Are your presents under the tree yet?" Ziggy asked, inclining his head toward the bridge.  
  
"Yes, all but one," her voice came. They were interrupted as chaos peeked over Ziggy's shoulder. He smiled widely, gripping the shoulders of Ziggy and Shelley.  
  
"Everyone should come see this," he murmured. MOMO made sure that no one entered the kitchen, and then followed them as they made their way to the bridge. Activating the door, chaos stepped in first, followed by the rest of them. MOMO gasped. Douglass the Tree was strung up with white Christmas lights. They shone radiantly in the darkness on the bridge. It created a lovely glow that formed a halo around the tree. Everyone stood in its presence, staring at the frosty glow. Matthews let out a low sigh.  
  
"You did right picking that tree, MOMO," Matthews said in a low voice. MOMO beamed. Douglass did look very beautiful. Maybe even more beautiful than any old Christmas tree because it was THEIR tree. The tree belonged to them as a family. And watching the light flow across the presents and the floor like tiny waves brought them closer together, like a family. As if sensing the mutual feeling of the group, Jr. set his arms akimbo.  
  
"We are one weird family," he muttered.   
  
"That makes it all the more special," chaos said, pointing a finger in the air. "The Spirit of Christmas is to bring the family together, even if they quarrel. Families set aside their differences and come together, exchanging good will and love. I think that's what it's all about." He then blushed a bit, lowering his gaze to his feet. "Not like I would know a lot about Christmas..."  
  
"I think you're right, chaos," Shion said. She now had a smile on her face. "I think we should all set aside our differences. It'll make things all that much better in the morning." Everyone agreed.  
  
"Sorry for being so annoying today, Gaignun," chaos said.  
  
"Well, I'm sorry for not paying attention," Gaignun rebutted.  
  
"I guess I musta been pretty annoyin' too, huh, Cap'n Matthews?" Mary asked earnestly. Matthews wouldn't deny it.  
  
"Well, yeah, to tell the truth. But I'll let it slide. Hell, it's Christmas after all."  
  
"I shouldn't have been so eager to best you in a contest," Ziggy muttered, turning to Jr. The smaller man seemed taken aback. "Giving gifts is not a contest, merely a gesture of good will. Forgive me."  
  
"Naw, it's all right, cyborg," Jr. mumbled, feeling a bit low of himself. "Hey, remember, I wanted to beat you too."  
  
"I'll take that as accepting an apology," Ziggy said. In the dark, Jr. could not see the hint of a smile tugging at Ziggy's lips.   
  
Shion was about to apologize to Allen for following him around, just before she realized that he didn't know she had been following him. She cleared her throat, and turned to her friend. But he said something first.  
  
"Sorry I couldn't think of anything better to get you," Allen told her, handing her a small paper bag. He held a finger in he air. "But don't open it before morning." With that, he disappeared. KOS-MOS piped up from beside Shion.  
  
"Allen has retired to his cabin. He appears to be resting. I do not suggest pursuit." The android turned to Shion, who was smiling while clutching the paper bag.  
  
"No..." She reached down and set the bag under the tree. She saw the faint scrawl of Allen's hand on the bag. It read 'For Shion.' "I'll see him in the morning."  
  
Matthews' eyes traveled to the decrepit forms of Tony and Hammer, which were standing alone near the helm. He looked from his sweet, sweet karaoke machine to the two of his crew. The eyes moved between the two choices in rapid succession. Finally, with a roar, he thrust the wonderful package into the arms of Tony. His exterior was harsh and fiery, but Hammer could tell that his hart had warmed.  
  
"Merry Christmas, ya morons!" He yelled. Trying to keep his image and reputation intact, he stormed from the bridge, muttering incoherently. The others filed out after him, feeling they had to get some sleep after the hectic day. Everyone but Hammer and Tony. They looked with wondering eyes at the new present they bore. Hammer cracked a massive smile as Tony placed the item under the tree.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Captain."  
  
Complete and utter silence befell the ship. No one stirred. The darkness was complete, and so was the quiet. After almost two and a half-hours of no movement, one tiny sound could be heard echoing lightly in the metallic halls. It was the footfall of some small person. They snuck past the cabins, past their snoozing customers. A small hand pushed open the door to the kitchen and entered without shedding a drop of light on the innards of the Elsa. Revealed by the light inside the kitchen was MOMO. She looked around and finally spotted her gift. She pulled it from the oven and stuck it in a box. Carefully, she closed the lid and wrapped a decorative ribbon and bow around it. Then, as quietly as she had done before, she snuck back into the darkness.  
  
No one had noticed her as she slunk again to the bridge. She was very glad that the doors made little to no noise upon opening. She commanded the door to the bridge to open, and it did. The room was still illuminated by the soft glow of the Christmas lights. Except that they did not shine on the presents alone. Someone was crouching before the Christmas tree. And it was in a red suit with white trim. Santa!  
  
"Santa?" MOMO asked in an excited whisper. The person turned around quickly, and she saw the azure eyes of one of her friends. Santa was most definitely NOT a blonde. He stood nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
"Merry Christmas, MOMO," he muttered softly. A wide and glorious smile spread over MOMO's features, and she walked slowly to the tree, bearing her present like a gift of Kings.  
  
"Merry Christmas, Ziggy." She looked at his nearly ridiculous Santa garb, giggling slightly. "Why are you dressed like Santa?" She could hear a low grumble exit Ziggy's lips.  
  
"While you and Shion were in your cabin, all the men drew straws to see who would place the last few presents under the tree. Sort of a 'secret Santa,' if you will. I, of course, picked the short straw. And that damned Matthews insisted whoever delivered the presents must dress in this preposterous outfit. Luckily, or unluckily, Tony's happened to fit me." With a deep sight, Ziggy knelt down next to the tree and pulled a rectangular box from under his arm. "It was not all a loss. I wanted to deliver this parcel personally."  
  
"Who's it for?" MOMO asked, now clutching her own box tightly.  
  
"It's for a certain Realian I know rather well," Ziggy said playfully. MOMO got on her knees next to Ziggy and watched as set the present carefully in a safe spot under Douglass. If at all possible, MOMO's smile grew even wider.  
  
"Well, this one's for you." She held the box out toward him. At first, he did not take it.  
  
"I did not ask you for anything," he told her.  
  
"And I didn't ask you for anything," she retorted, insisting the box upon him. At last, he took it. "You can't open it 'till Christmas morning, though," she added. He nodded, and stood up. MOMO followed in suit.  
  
"You must be getting tired," Ziggy suggested. MOMO knew what he meant. The faster you get to sleep, the faster morning will come. With a quick bob and a fleeting smile, she was off. Ziggy took the Santa hat off his head, glad to be rid of it, and smoothed his hair back against his head. He looked out the cockpit window, wishing that they were not in the belly of the Durandal, so that he could see the stars. Slowly, he began to hum a Christmas song that he had believed he had forgotten a long time ago. 


End file.
